


Catch Fire

by walkalittleline



Series: Kink Therapy [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Come Marking, Deep Throating, Intercrural Sex, Knotting, M/M, oh boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 11:13:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18755329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkalittleline/pseuds/walkalittleline
Summary: When their last time sharing Caleb’s bed sends Caduceus into his rut, Caleb offers to help him through it.





	Catch Fire

**Author's Note:**

> listen 
> 
> I have no excuse for this

Things haven’t changed much between them since the incident in the Dim’s Inn. It’s not as awkward as after the first time they’d been in bed together, a kind of mutual agreement to remain silent on the subject but with a certain degree of increased closeness, especially now that they’re settling into their new home and don’t have to worry about where they’re going to get their next warm meal or what might almost kill them on a daily basis. It’s foreign to Caleb, after being on the run for so long, staying in one place for more than a few nights, and it takes him almost a week to stop looping the silver thread around the door to his room each night.

Somewhat to his chagrin, Caduceus had requested the top of the tower as his sleeping quarters, claiming the solitude would be preferable for his meditations and that he didn’t need anything as fancy as some of the other bedrooms with their dark, purple wood furniture and woven tapestries hanging from the walls.

“I just need a place to sleep,” he’d said with a shrug while Beau, Jester, and Nott argued over who would get the biggest of the bedrooms, all of them gathered around the long dining room table for a meal Caduceus had happily prepared with supplies from their newly stocked pantry.

He’d turned back to his food then, frowning a little as he rubbed at the side of his neck and tugged at the collar of his shirt like it was uncomfortable against his skin, his cheeks oddly flush in a way that made Caleb wonder if he might be falling ill. But Caduceus didn’t make mention of it so neither did Caleb, merely throwing the occasional concerned glance in his direction throughout the rest of the evening until they all retired to their rooms, full and sleepy and maybe all still a little unused to being so widely spread after months of sleeping in a group or in shared rooms.

When he and Caduceus had reached the door to Caleb’s room on the right, the door to the tower further down the hall on the left, they’d both paused, Caleb resting his hand on handle of the door and looking back at him curiously when he’d heard his footsteps halt. His face was still faintly flushed, the light of the lamp flickering on the wall throwing his features into sharp relief.

“Good night, Caleb,” he’d said, his voice strangely rough and making his fingers tighten on the doorknob as his heart leapt excitedly.

But Caduceus had simply smiled and headed off to bed, leaving him mildly disappointed and confused.

It’s been nearly a week since then and Caduceus has been acting increasingly odd since then. On more than one occasion Caleb has seen him simply stop mid-sentence, closing his eyes and swallowing like he’s trying to keep himself from being sick. The flush on his cheeks seems to have become a permanent fixture, joined halfway through the week by a sheen of sweat on his forehead that no one but Caleb seems to notice.

“I think Caduceus may be ill,” he murmurs to Beau one evening when they’re all gathered for supper. He glances at Caduceus where he’s seated further down the table next to Jester, eyes fixed unseeing on his bowl and nostrils flaring as he sucks in slow breaths, lips pursed tightly.

Beau follows his gaze to Caduceus and shrugs. “I’m sure he’s fine,” she says, “if he wasn’t he’d say something. I think everyone’s still adjusting.”

She turns back to her food and Caleb frowns, still eyeing Caduceus as he picks up his spoon only for his fingers to shake nearly imperceptibly before he sets it back down, wiping the back of his hand absently over his forehead. Caleb hangs back when the others leave to help Caduceus clear the table, watching him carefully as he gathers dishes and carries them to the wash bucket. His hands tremble and he nearly drops the stack of wooden bowls and Caleb hurries to his side to take them from him.

“Why don’t I take care of this?” he says as he turns to lower the bowls into the bucket. “You get some rest.”

He turns back around and starts when Caduceus is directly behind him. He hadn’t even heard him approaching. Up close, he can see now his truly unwell he looks, his already grey complexion pallid and dark bags under his eyes, his hair falling limp around his face.

“Caduceus, what is wrong with you?” Caleb reaches up to brush his hair back from his face so he can get a better look at him and press the inside of his wrist to his temple, swearing under his breath when his skin is hot to the touch. “You are ill, you need to lie down, I’ll get Jester to—“

“‘M’fine,” Caduceus mumbles, shaking his head.

“But, you—“

“I’m fine,” he repeats more firmly. “Just need some sleep.”

Caleb frowns but goes to pull his hand away, wincing when Caduceus grabs his forearm to stop him, fingers so tight around him it almost hurts.

“Caduceus, wh—“

He falls silent as Caduceus lowers his head and presses his nose to the inside of Caleb’s wrist, eyes closed as he sucks in sharp, greedy breaths through his nose.

“You smell good,” he breathes, eyes opening and fixing on Caleb, pupils dilated and expression dark in a way that sends a thrill of fear and excitement run through him. His fingers squeeze tighter around Caleb’s arm and he can feel his skin start to bruise.

“Ah, Caduceus, that hurts,” he says, trying to pull his arm away.

He lets out a quiet cry of pain when Caduceus pushes him back against the table, the lip digging painfully into his back as Caduceus crowds into his space and buries his face in his neck, inhaling deeply and groaning roughly, Caleb’s arm pinned behind him to the table top. His breath is hot and ragged on Caleb’s skin.

“Caduceus?”

The hand on his arm is gone suddenly, Caduceus taking a stumbling step back, eyes wide and guilty.

“Caleb, I—I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—“ he takes another step back from him, hip banging into the corner of the table, his eyes darting frantically around the room.

“Caduceus…” Caleb takes a step towards him and he holds his hands out to stop him, shaking his head hard.

“Don’t,” he says in a choked voice, still looking equal parts ashamed and terrified. “Stay away from me, Caleb. I’m so sorry.”

He backs away from Caleb, face drained of color, turning when he reaches the door to hurry from the room. Caleb hears his rapid footsteps down the hall, staring after him, gripping the edge of the table so hard his fingers turn white, his heart thudding almost painfully quick in his chest.

When Caduceus doesn’t come down for breakfast the next morning—which, in itself is exceedingly worrying to Caleb given he usually does the cooking—Jester decides to go up to his tower room to check on him. She returns after a few minutes, looking faintly concerned.

“He wouldn’t let me in but he said he’s not feeling very well,” she says as she slips into the seat next to Beau. “He thinks he just needs some rest and that we should go out without him. Someone should probably stay behind, though, just in case?”

“I’ll stay,” Caleb says before anyone else has a chance to. “I have some work to do anyway.”

They all mumble their agreement and turn back to the makeshift breakfast they’d put together without Caduceus, Caleb admits he already misses the spread he usually puts out for them. When the rest of them have cleared out of the house half an hour later, he busies himself with trying to work on transcribing for a full twenty minutes before he accepts he won’t be able to focus and heads to the pantry to dig out some of the tea leaves Caduceus has in small satchels on one of the shelves.

He sets about lighting the flame under the cast iron stove with a flick of his wrist and begins heating a kettle. He’s seen Caduceus brew tea countless times and he’s careful to follow the same steps, letting the leaves steep a few minutes before pouring a steaming cupful. Balancing the cup carefully on a matching saucer—Caduceus and Jester had picked the set out earlier that week, pale blue with a pattern of ivy around the saucers and a silver ring on the rims of the cups—he slowly makes his way down the hall and up the ladder leading to Caduceus’ room.

He pauses at the top of the ladder to press his ear against the door that swings upward into the room, stomach clenching with concern when he hears soft, pained whimpers on the other side. Setting the tea on the top slat of the ladder, he pushes the hatch up into the room, grimacing when it swings up and lands on the floor with a heavy _thunk_ of wood on stone.

“Caduceus? I brought you some tea.” He scoops the tea back up and climbs up into the room.

The first thing he’s hit by is the heat. The room is stiflingly hot, thick with humidity, sweat immediately breaking across the back of his neck under his collar as he pulls himself into a standing position above the door and kicks it shut behind him. The second thing he notices is the smell. The wet air is dripping with the heavy, musky scent of sex. It hits his nostrils almost dizzyingly strong, his brain unhelpfully supplying the memory of what it had smelled like after he’d been affected by the pollen of the strange flower in the palace. It’s slightly different though, the smell now distinctly sharper, warmer, the smell of _Caduceus_ rather than himself.

His eyes are drawn to the far side of the room, where Caduceus has set his bedding directly on the floor, blankets piled on the down-stuffed mattress. Caduceus himself is curled in a ball on his side in the center of the bed, completely naked and drenched with sweat. His face and chest are flushed dark, eyes heavily-lidded and breath coming in sharp pants, his tongue lolled out like a dog. Though he has his legs bent and tucked up towards his stomach, Caleb can still see his cock jutting up hard and dripping onto the sheets.

Caleb barely registers the tinkling sound of the cup and saucer shattering as they slip from his limp fingers, tea splashing over his boots and seeping across the floor.

“No,” Caduceus says weakly, shaking his head. “No, Caleb, you have to… you have to go, I can’t—I don’t know if I can—“ he breaks off, shuddering and whimpering as he curls in on himself tighter, clear, slick fluid leaking from the tip of his cock.

Heat flares unprompted in Caleb’s belly, throbbing across his groin. He swallows and takes a step towards Caduceus, ignoring the crunch of porcelain under his boot as he goes. Caduceus scrambles back from him, limbs uncoordinated and eyes widening almost fearfully.

“Don’t, Caleb, _don’t_ , I can’t, I’ll hurt you.”

“Caduceus, what is wrong with you?” His eyes dart over the bed, mouth going dry at how wet the sheets are in spots, damp with that clear liquid, and he wonders how long Caduceus has been up here like this, miserable and needing release.

“It’s my rut,” Caduceus gasps, eyes falling shut as another tremor rocks his body and his cock drips on the sheets again. “When we—firbolgs only take a mate once. It must have triggered it.”

“So, what, you are supposed to be impregnating another firbolg now?” Caleb says, half laughing as he says it with how ridiculous it sounds. But Caduceus nods, whining quietly.

“I’m supposed to be with my mate.” He closes his eyes, breathing heavily.

“Oh.” Caleb hesitates, turns the proclamation over in his mind a few times before saying, “Well, I’m here now. What do you need me to do?”

Caduceus blinks his eyes open, frowning up at him like he’s not sure he understood him correctly.

“No,” he mutters, shaking his head weakly, “no, Caleb, you don’t, _ah,_  you don’t understand.”

Caleb takes another step towards him, already tugging at the thin cord that laces the top of his tunic closed.

“You need someone to help with this,” he says. “Given that you and I have already been together, it makes the most sense for it to be me. Especially if it was my fault to begin with. I may not be a firbolg, but perhaps I can be an acceptable substitute.”

Caduceus whimpers, Caleb can see tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

“You don’t understand,” he repeats, “if you were my mate you’d be in rut, too. Caleb, I’ll hurt you if we—“

“I won’t let you hurt me,” Caleb says over him, loosening the collar of his tunic to expose his throat. “You helped me when I needed it. Let me repay the favor. Caduceus?”

Caduceus has gone silent, his eyes dropping to the exposed skin of Caleb’s throat. His nostrils flare and his pupils go wide and dark like they had the night before. He’s no longer squirming, though he’s still breathing heavily, sharp, rasping breaths through his teeth.

“I can smell you,” he says, voice low and practically a growl. He closes his eyes and exhales shakily, his cock twitching and spilling more slick onto the bed. “You smell so good, Caleb.”

He pushes himself to his feet and Caleb wets his lips nervously, breath catching in his throat as Caduceus rises to his full height, panting and fixing him with an intense, wild look. He takes two unsteady steps towards him before he has to stop, legs shaking under him as fluid beads at the head of his cock again.

“Let me help you,” Caleb says, echoing back the words Caduceus had said to him the first time they’d fallen into bed together.

Caduceus lifts his eyes to him, looking close to tears of gratitude and relief, though still with that undertone of concern. He breathes out harshly and sinks to his knees as his legs seem to give out entirely, planting his hands on the floor, face hidden by the long sheet of his hair.

“Can you lie down?” Caleb says, moving to his side and kneeling down to slip his arm around his waist. “Do you need help?”

Caduceus lifts his head to look at him and Caleb is thrown by how disheveled he looks, hair rumpled and damp with sweat at his hairline, mouth open slightly and eyes hooded, his face flushed dark. Even though they’ve been in bed twice together now, he’s never really seen Caduceus so affected by it, not having done anything for himself the first time and Caleb being robbed of his sight and hearing the second time. Though even then he’d been much better put together than Caleb after they were finished.

Caduceus nods silently and Caleb helps him to his feet, jumping when Caduceus nuzzles at the side of his neck as they walk slowly back to the bed. He groans and noses at his jaw, breathing in Caleb like he’s a drug. His face is nearly level with Caleb’s groin when Caleb lowers him to the bed and he wraps his arms around his thighs to keep him close as he presses his nose into Caleb’s crotch with a pleased sound, eyes closed as he simply inhales the smell of him. Caleb shivers at the pressure against his cock through the fabric of his breeches, sliding his fingers through Caduceus’ hair and sighing.

“I just bought these clothes so I would like to not ruin them,” he murmurs when Caduceus opens his mouth and kisses wetly along the line of his hardening cock.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, shaking his head a little and letting his arms fall from around Caleb’s legs. “You just smell so good. Better than usual. It’s hard to think around you right now.”

Caleb takes his face gently in both hands, tilting it back to look at him. He wonders if he’d looked this debauched when strung out on the pollen.

“We’ll get you taken care of,” he says, pushing his pink hair back and pausing to allow Caduceus to turn his face into his wrist and take a heavy lungful of his scent, whining quietly.

His fingers hook in the waistband of Caleb’s pants and Caleb tugs the tie loose so he can pull them down his legs. His expression darkens again and he grips Caleb’s hips hard in both hands and drags his tongue over the head of his cock, moaning and ignoring Caleb’s gasp of surprise as he licks him quickly to full hardness with broad strokes of his tongue.

“ _Ah, Verdammt,_  hold on,” Caleb breathes, prying Caduceus’ hands off his hips, a shock of anticipation running through him when Caduceus’ hackles raise and he makes a displeased noise in his throat before allowing Caleb to step back and finish undressing, slipping off his boots and stepping out of his breeches before pulling his shirt over head, leaving it all in a pile ten feet from the bed where he thinks it won’t be in danger of being dirtied.

Caduceus watches him closely the entire time, eyes fluttering shut every now and then as slick oozes out of his cock. He shifts impatiently when Caleb approaches the bed and sinks to his knees at the edge a few feet from him.

“What do you need?” Caleb says.

“I just need to touch you,” Caduceus replies, voice unsteady, desperate. He winces and closes his eyes briefly as his cock continues to drip onto the bed. “Please, Caleb. It hurts.”

“Here,” Caleb mutters, moving closer to him. His dips his fingertips in the spreading puddle under him, rubbing some of the slick between his fingers. It’s clear and slightly sticky on his skin, a similar consistency to oil and clearly the source of the deep, musky scent permeating the room, the smell of it hitting his nostrils and making him almost light-headed as he breathes it in with how strong it is.

He reaches between his legs and smears it on the inside of his thighs just below his groin, rubbing it over his skin until it’s wet and slippery with it. Caduceus watches him curiously as it does it, squirming impatiently. When Caleb lies back on the bed, Caduceus immediately climbs on top of him, pushing him down and latching onto the side of his throat, sucking at his pulse point as he ruts erratically against Caleb’s hip, slick smearing across his skin.

“ _Ah,_  hang on,” Caleb gasps, pushing lightly at his shoulder even as pleasure throbs across his groin when Caduceus’ cock aligns with his own and rubs against it smoothly.

Caduceus snarls into his skin but raises his head and stills his hips, panting hard and looking like it’s taking all his effort not to simply pin Caleb down and fuck him.

“I can make it better,” Caleb assures him, guiding him to sit back on his knees so Caleb can pull his legs up, pressing his thighs together. “Just to take the edge off.”

Comprehension seems to dawn on Caduceus’ face and he nods, moving forward on his knees and taking hold of Caleb’s legs to push them back further so he can rest his ankles at his shoulder, Caleb wincing at the stretch of muscle but giving easily.

Caduceus holds his thighs firmly in both hands, forcing them together and grunting as he shoves his cock through them roughly, gliding smooth against Caleb’s skin with the help of the slick coating it and still dripping from Caduceus’ cock. Caduceus immediately picks up an almost brutal pace that makes Caleb glad he’d suggested this first. He seems to be moving more out of instinct than anything else, panting hard and eyes unfocused as he fucks Caleb’s thighs. The head of his cock pushes through to the other side of his thighs with each thrust, still wet and leaking steadily. Caleb closes his eyes, enjoying the occasional jolt of pleasure when Caduceus’ cock rubs across his hole or against his cock.

Caduceus’ breaths become unsteady after a minute or two, harsh huffs of air through gritted teeth like an angry bull, hackles raising and hips snapping forward so hard the wet smack of skin fills the room. He grunts and stills, fingers digging sharply into Caleb’s thighs as he comes at last, shooting opaque streaks across Caleb’s stomach and all the way up his chest, his eyes squeezed shut and brow knitted in concentration.

He’s still breathing heavily when he lets Caleb’s legs fall back onto the bed, holding his forehead in one hand as he seems to gather his bearings. He drags his hand down his face and blinks up at Caleb, the heat in his eyes still present but more muted behind the guilty downturn of his lips.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, shaking his head. “I’m not—I don’t really—“

“It’s okay,” Caleb says, pushing himself into a sitting position. “What do you want now? What will make it easier? Caduceus?”

But Caduceus doesn’t seem to be listening to him, his eyes fixed on where Caleb’s skin is painted with his come, his tongue darting between his lips and his nostrils twitching. Caleb falls silent as he reaches between them to brush his fingers experimentally through the drying streaks, spreading it over his skin. His eyes flick up to Caleb’s like he’s asking for permission and Caleb nods wordlessly, allows him to push him back onto the bed again so he can rub his fingers over his chest and stomach. He smears his come across Caleb’s skin methodically, eyes fixed on his fingers and lower lip tucked between his teeth.

He lowers his head and Caleb tilts his chin up expectantly but he doesn’t kiss him, instead buries his face into the side of his neck, fingers still rubbing across his skin, and breathes in deep. A low, groaning growl vibrates over Caleb’s throat where Caduceus’ lips are pressed against it.

“You smell like me now,” he mutters, breath hot and wet. “We smell good together.”

Caleb shivers, tilts his head to the side to give him better access to his neck, eyes lulling shut when he bites gently down where his pulse is ticking rapidly under his skin. His tongue presses to the spot and he lets out another rough breath through his nose and Caleb starts when his cock rubs against the back of his thigh as he pushes his hips forward.

He sits up reluctantly when Caleb eases him back, that feral look returning to his face again and his hand still rubbing over Caleb’s chest though his come has long since dried tacky to his skin. He pulls his hand away at last. Caleb catches his wrist, lifts his hand to his lips so he can suck the tips of his fingers into his mouth. The taste of him is heavy on his tongue as he slips it between his fingers, sharp and faintly salty, even more dizzyingly strong than the smell of his slick. He licks his fingers clean, sucking lightly on the tips of them before pulling them out of his mouth with a wet _pop_ and lowering Caduceus’ hand back onto the bed.

“Can you stand?” Caleb says, “I want to try something.”

Caduceus blinks a few times, eyes out of focus, and nods. He pushes himself unsteadily to his feet, grabbing Caleb’s shoulders when his legs wobble.

“It’s okay,” Caleb says, resting his hands on his hips to help balance him. “I have you.”

Caduceus stares down at him, wincing and whining quietly when slick beads at the head of his cock. He grunts and tightens his fingers on Caleb’s shoulders when Caleb sits up on his knees so he can catch the clear liquid on his tongue before it drips onto the bed. Caleb wets his lips and wraps one hand around the base of Caduceus’ cock, swallowing apprehensively before stretching his jaw wide and takes him into his mouth.

As expected, Caduceus’ knees buckle and he shifts his hips forward in an aborted thrust, sinking deeper into his mouth as his fingers dig painfully into Caleb’s shoulders. Caleb pets his hand over his hip reassuringly and relaxes his jaw, closing his eyes to focus on suppressing the sudden urge to gag, his jaw aching at the stretch. Saliva pools in his mouth and drips out of the corners of his lips, eyes watering as his throat convulses when the tip of Caduceus’ cock hits the back of his throat. He swallows around him and Caduceus whimpers and nearly doubles over above him, panting heavily, arms trembling and eyes barely cracked open so he can watch Caleb bob his head.

“ _Caleb_ ,” he whispers, voice cracked and broken, a pitched sob falling from him as Caleb feels slick drip down the back of his throat.

Caleb breathes harshly through his nose, desperately trying to relax his throat as he forces his lips down further around him, fingers wrapped tight at the base of his cock. His jaw and lips burn, spit dribbling down his chin and tears slipping down his cheeks from how much his eyes are watering. But he’d be lying if he said he hasn’t been thinking about this since the last time they’d been together, hasn’t wanted to feel Caduceus heavy on his tongue and see how far he can take him in his mouth even though he knows it’s a losing battle trying to take all of him.

He slides his fist up the length of him to gather saliva on his fingers, easing the glide of his hand as he pumps and twists his fingers over what he can’t fit in his mouth. He can hear Caduceus’ breaths becoming uneven, labored as his hips twitch forward almost automatically. Caleb can tell by the vice grip he has on his shoulders that it’s taking all his effort not to grab the back of Caleb’s head and force himself the rest of the way down his throat.

Caleb lifts his hand from Caduceus’ hip so he can take hold of his wrist and guide his hand from his shoulder to his head, making a pleased noise in his throat when Caduceus tangles his fingers in his hair, stroking his other hand over Caleb’s sweat-damp temple. He cups Caleb’s cheek and brushes his thumb over his cheekbone in a weirdly tender gesture, swiping away the tear slipping down his face.

“‘M’close, Caleb,” he murmurs, swallowing and shuddering when Caleb slides his mouth back off him almost entirely before sinking down again, his throat contracting around the head of his cock. He grips Caduceus’ thigh in his free hand, feeling the muscles twitch under his fingers.

Caduceus closes his eyes, fingernails digging to Caleb’s scalp as he repeats the motion, his fist around him matching the pace of his mouth. Caduceus’ breath quickens, his legs quivering as he bows his spine forward. He’s whining quietly in his throat, soft, needy sounds that quickly turn to low, animalistic grunts as he holds Caleb’s head firmly in both hands to keep him in place as he begins to thrust his hips forward, fucking into his mouth, though he never goes deeper than what Caleb has already taken him, careful to control himself even in his hazed state of mind.

Caleb chokes and struggles to swallow rapidly when Caduceus stills and comes into the back of his throat with a long, stilted groan, his fingers twisting in Caleb’s hair. Hot liquid streams across his tongue and down his throat in thick spurts. It floods his mouth, leaking out of the corners when he can’t swallow it all, dripping warm down his chin and onto the bed. The taste of him is even stronger now, sharp and heady, and it makes heat pulse in Caleb’s groin.

Caduceus’ hands slip from his hair and drop limply to his sides, his breath ragged as Caleb pulls him out of his mouth, sticky strings of come hanging between his lips and the head of his cock. Caduceus exhales shakily as he reaches up to gather it on his fingers and smear it and the come slipping down his chin across his jaw and up over his cheek, he coats Caleb’s face with it, dipping his fingers into his mouth to gather what he hasn’t swallowed and dragging it across his lips and over his throat until his skin is sticky and taut as it dries.

Caduceus lowers himself to his knees, taking Caleb’s face in both hands and turning it side to side like he’s checking that every inch of him is covered. He rests his forehead against Caleb’s when he seems fully satisfied, bumping their noses together and making a pleased noise.

“I always want you to smell like me,” he murmurs dazedly.

He catches Caleb’s lips in a kiss before he can fully digest his words, groaning as his tongue licks into his mouth, teeth catching on Caleb’s upper lip. Caleb enjoys the few minutes of unusually tender kissing, it feels more like what he would expect from Caduceus if he wasn’t under the effect of this rut. He finds himself wondering, wishing to know perhaps, what it would be like to go to bed with him without some strange caveat like they’ve had each time they’ve done this. To simply take the time to build up with slow, careful touches and kissing until his lips are swollen from it.

There’s a tickle in the back of his throat and he has to pull back to cough, wincing at how sore it feels from the abuse.

“Are you okay?” Caduceus says worriedly, watching him anxiously as he rubs at his throat.

“I’ll be fine,” Caleb replies. His voice is rough and hoarse, barely audible and making his throat throb painfully. “What do you want now?”

Caduceus still looks concerned but his expression shifts to a pained grimace as he curls in on himself when his cock leaks slick onto the sheets, still somehow fully hard.

“I want you,” he begins quietly, “to… um…” His already flushed cheeks darken further and he ducks his head shyly.

“This is no time to be coy, Caduceus,” Caleb says, fondly amused at his hesitance after what they’ve already done together. He reaches out to lay his hand lightly over Caduceus’ where it’s resting on his thigh. “What do you want?”

Caduceus sighs, looking up at him through his eyelashes—Caleb hadn’t realized before how long they were, pale and feathered.

“I want you to… to be inside me,” he says, voice small.

Caleb stares at him, bewildered by the request.

“You want—really?”

Caduceus nods silently.

“I want to do the same to you,” he continues, “but I think I need to, um, finish again before I’ll feel safe doing that. I don’t want to hurt you. I already have.” He touches his fingers apologetically to the base of Caleb's throat.

“I am okay,” Caleb assures him, throat raw and scratchy as he speaks. “I liked it.”

Caduceus smiles guiltily, expression shifting as a weak moan spills from his lips and his cock drips onto the sheets yet again.

“Here,” Caleb says, reaching down to gather the slick on his fingers before gesturing for Caduceus to get up. “Get on your hands and knees, alright?”

Caduceus’ limbs quake under him as he moves to obey, head hanging down so his hair drapes in a sheet that hides his face as Caleb shifts to sit behind him, raised up on his knees. He lays one hand on Caduceus’ bony hip, smearing the liquid over his fingers as he admires the lean muscle of his ass and legs, the heavy line of his cock where it’s hanging between his thighs. The thought of getting it inside him again makes him want to rush but he’s almost just as eager to spread Caduceus open and push inside of him, see how he reacts to Caleb fucking him.

“Tilt your hips up,” he says gently, “and spread your legs a little.”

He waits for Caduceus to comply, reaching between his legs to catch more of the slick dripping from him so his fingers are fully coated before rubbing the tips over his hole, petting the base of his spine soothingly when he jerks his hips forward and whimpers. He spends a minute just pressing the pads of his fingers over his hole and perineum, gauging his reaction and enjoying the way he whines and trembles so responsively to his touch. When he presses the tip of his index finger into him, Caduceus immediately clenches down and inhales sharply.

“Relax,” Caleb murmurs gently, kissing his hip. “ _Verdammt_ , you’re tight. Have you ever touched yourself like this?”

Caduceus shakes his head mutely and Caleb swears quietly under his breath. He pulls his finger free to coat it more liberally with saliva and slick before pushing it back on again, sinking down to the second knuckle and crooking it experimentally. Caduceus’ arms immediately buckle under him and he lets out a shuddering breath. Caleb leans to the side so he can watch his expression where his head his hanging between his arms, his eyes closed and lips parted in pleasure. Caleb twists his finger further into him, putting pressure against the knot of nerves again and watching a tremor run all the way up his spine, his arms threatening to give out beneath him.

“I’m going to add another one, okay?” he says when he starts to feel the muscle relax around him.

Caduceus nods, whining and pushing his hips back. Caleb slips his index finger free and slicks it and his middle finger thoroughly before sliding them both slowly into in, kissing over the base of his spine when he grunts and squeezes his eyes shut, throat bobbing in a gulp as he contracts around him.

“Just relax,” Caleb murmurs, thrusting his fingers in and out in slow, measured movements. He watches Caduceus’ features slowly smooth again into that look of subdued pleasure.

Caduceus begins breathing heavily after a few minutes of this, Caleb feeling the muscles go more pliant around his fingers and looking down to see slick dripping steadily from him now, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his face colored dark. He quickly coats a third finger and adds it alongside the others, watching Caduceus’ spine dip and his eyes roll back as he arches back into the touch.

“More,” he breathes, fingers digging into the sheets. His lips twitch, hackles raising briefly as he shakes his head and exhales sharply through his teeth. “Caleb, _more_.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Caleb says, twisting and curling three fingers inside him.

Caduceus snarls back at him over his shoulder, teeth bared, and Caleb presses his fingers hard against his prostate, watching his expression go slack, mouth falling open.

“Be _patient_ ,” Caleb mutters, ignoring the quiet growl this earns him, though Caduceus doesn’t argue further, allowing him another minute or two of working him open before he starts panting and huffing restlessly again.

Caleb reaches between his legs to pump his fist over his cock and gather some of the slick still leaking from him, coating himself in it and shifting onto his knees behind him. He nudges his legs farther apart with his knee to lower his hips and slips his fingers out of him, taking a moment to admire the lines of his back, the faint ridges of his spine and ribs.

When Caduceus’ makes an impatient noise and glowers back at him with that same sort of carnal look, Caleb takes hold of his hips with one hand, using the other to tease the head of his cock over his hole, grinning when he makes a frustrated noise in his throat.

“Patience,” Caleb mumbles, eyes sliding shut as he pushes forward into him. He’s still impossibly tight around him and Caleb has to stop himself from just thrusting in roughly, though he doesn’t think Caduceus would care in his current state of mind.

Caduceus is pushing back against him, making low, needy sounds in his throat, head hanging down between his arms, hair pooling on the sheets under him. Caleb stops when he bottoms out, swearing quietly and running his hands down Caduceus’ thighs. He tilts his head down to rest his chin on his chest and pulls his hips back to pull out of him. Caduceus’ makes a displeased noise that turns quickly into a rough groan when Caleb rocks his hips back forward to sink into him again.

Caleb shuts his eyes again, focusing on picking up a steady rhythm and the way Caduceus reacts to each thrust rather than getting himself off. He leans forward to reach around Caduceus so he can wrap his hand around his cock and pump his fist in time with the roll of his hips, feeling him twitch and clench around him as he does. He can sense him getting close again by the way he’s panting heavily, eyes unfocused and teeth bared in a silent snarl.

“Come on now,” Caleb murmurs encouragingly. “You’re almost there.”

He squeezes his fingers around the head of Caduceus’ cock, pressing the pad of his thumb across the slick skin, and Caduceus shudders and whines as he comes across his fingers and onto the bed under him. Caleb wraps his fingers quickly around the base of his own cock to stave off his orgasm when Caduceus tightens around him, closing his eyes to will himself not to come. He slips out of him and takes a few unsteady breaths, shivering and wincing at how painfully close he is.

Caduceus collapses onto the bed, whimpering quietly as he rolls onto his back, blinking dazedly up at the conical ceiling of the tower. He’s still hard but Caleb can see that haze of primal instinct has faded from his expression at least temporarily. Caleb straddles his waist, rolling his hips down and sighing at the easy glide of skin with the slick and come smeared across Caduceus’ stomach.

“Feeling better?” he says, leaning down to mouth wetly at Caduceus’ collarbone and up the side of his throat.

Caduceus hums contentedly, resting one hand on Caleb’s back absently as he continues kissing across his jaw. He lifts his head to look down at him, enjoying the dark flush across his cheeks and nose.

“What next?” he says, pushing his fingers through Caduceus’ sweaty, tangled hair and watching him smile faintly at the touch.

“I want to do what we did last time,” he says, tilting his head into Caleb’s hand, “but I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you.” He hesitates, licking his lips anxiously. “I’m going to have to knot, Caleb.”

“Not?” Caleb says curiously, sitting up. “Not what?”

Caduceus flushes and exhales a nervous laugh.

“No,” he says with a shake of his head. “Knot. With a ‘k’. It’s, ah, it’s what happens… at the end. When firbolgs mate. It’s hard to explain.”

Caleb stares blankly at him.

“Okay,” he begins slowly, “I’ll be fine.”

“It’ll hurt,” Caduceus says seriously. “Are you sure?”

“We are not exactly new at this, Caduceus,” Caleb says with a laugh.

“Just… if it’s too much, you have to tell me,” Caduceus says, still looking apprehensive.

Caleb shrugs and nods.

“So you want to fuck me?” he says, lips twitching up when Caduceus nods with that same bizarre shyness given everything they’ve already done together. He leans down again to put his lips close to his ear. “So then _fuck me.”_

Caduceus whines quietly and Caleb lets out a muffled gasp of surprise when he grips him around the waist and flips him over so he’s looming over him. He grabs Caleb’s thighs and forces them apart and for one panicked second Caleb is afraid he’s about to do exactly what he’d told him without any preparation, but then he’s pushing his legs up and sinking between them. Caleb’s hands find his hair almost automatically when Caduceus’ tongue licks hungrily across his hole and perineum in what’s fast becoming a familiar sensation.

“You smell even better than usual here,” Caduceus groans, pressing his nose into the inner seam of Caleb’s thigh and breathing in deeply. He huffs Caleb’s scent in greedily, two slick fingers pushing into him as he does. Caleb releases a satisfied sigh at the stretch, aching for Caduceus to hurry up so he can fuck him. He knows he won’t need nearly as much preparation as he might normally need, embarrassed at how much he’s been thinking about getting Caduceus in bed again, how he’s touched himself thinking about it more than once this past week.

Caduceus laps eagerly at him, tongue slipping inside him along with his fingers, forcing its way passed the taut muscle. Caleb lets his legs fall apart widen, folding them up to rest his feet on Caduceus’ shoulders and tipping his head back with a moan when Caduceus’ fingertips brush over his prostate.

“Enough,” he breathes when he can’t take waiting any longer, sweating and shaking with the need to get off, his cock throbbing almost painfully. “That’s enough.”

“Patience,” Caduceus retorts, grinning as he murmurs the word into the skin of Caleb’s thigh.

Caleb huffs out an annoyed breath, tugging at his hair to pull him up the bed, Caduceus giving in with a chuckle. Caleb kisses him hard and hooks one leg around his hip to gain leverage so he can roll them over on the bed again. Caduceus gives him a faintly confused look, understanding coming over his feature when Caleb sits up on his thighs and coats his cock generously with the slick and come still slippery on his skin. He shifts forward and raises up on his knees, glancing up when Caduceus’ hands settle on his hips.

He bites his bottom lip hard as he sinks down onto him, grunting softly at the faint burn and ache, not as bad as the first time they’d done this but still sending a dull pulse across his hips and lower back. He feels even bigger in this position and Caleb is sweating with the effort to hold himself up by the time he’s finally flush with Caduceus’ hips, Caduceus guiding him down gently. Another tremor goes up his spine as he shifts minutely.

“Caleb, _mm_ , you feel so good.” Caduceus groans and pushes up him, murmuring an apology when Caleb cries out quietly at the movement, hands planting on Caduceus’ chest to keep himself from collapsing forward.

“Again,” Caleb whines, thighs trembling. He feels overwhelmed with how good it feels to have Caduceus’ inside him again, filling every inch of him so completely.

Caduceus nods, bending his knees and pressing his feet into the mattress for more leverage. His hands tighten on Caleb’s hips and he thrusts up, eyes fixed on Caleb as he moans and leans back, resting one hand on Caduceus’ knee, the other still pressed to his chest. He rolls his hips down to meet him, swearing weakly when it sends white hot pleasure racing under his skin. Caduceus begins snapping his hips up more roughly, instinctively, and Caleb sees that same hungry look come over him again, his eyes darkening and his fingernails digging into his skin.

Caleb stops trying to match his movements and simply allows him to fuck up into him, quick, wild drives of his hips, his hands pulling him down to meet him. Caleb groans and braces his hands on the bed, feeling his orgasm approach rapidly after being on edge for so long. His fingers tighten in the sheets, heat spreading under his skin, in his blood. He closes his eyes, feels it burn in his fingertips so hot it hurts. His eyes snap open when he smells acrid smoke and glances down to see the fabric singeing under his fingertips, black curling out slowly. He quickly pulls his hands back, resting them instead on Caduceus’ stomach, the grounding feeling of his skin against his own.

He starts when Caduceus takes hold of his wrists and forces them both behind his back, easily gripping them both in one large hand while the other returns to holding Caleb’s hips. Caleb’s shoulders arch back at the pull on his wrists and he squirms at the reminder of what it had been like to be at Caduceus’ mercy with his hands tied down.

Caduceus seems to change his mind about the change in position, releasing his hands after a minute or so and instead reaching up to tug Caleb down against him by his shoulder. He wraps one arm around Caleb’s middle to hold their bodies flush together, his other hand palming rough at his ass, still fucking him at an increasingly harsh pace.

“Mine,” he growls in Caleb’s ear. “ _Mine._ ” He bites lightly at Caleb’s earlobe. “Mine. Mine. _Mine._ ” He punctuates each snarling word with another hard thrust into him.

Caleb whimpers but nods where Caduceus has his face pressed against his neck. He’s so close, can feel his orgasm building low in his groin with each pound of Caduceus’ hips. Then he feels something nudging against his hole each time Caduceus’ thrusts into him, swelling at the base of his cock.

He suddenly understands what Caduceus had been trying to tell him, but before he can fully process what’s happening, Caduceus has dug his fingers into the flesh of his ass and slammed his hips upward, sinking into him fully. The breath rushes from his lungs and his head snaps up from where it’s tucked into the crook Caduceus’ shoulder, a strangled shout forcing its way from his throat as bright, hot pain shoots through him.

He’d thought Caduceus was big before but this, this knot as he’d called it, is _huge_ , it’s ripping him in two, splitting him open from the inside, tearing him apart in the best way possible. He loves it. Loves how impossibly full he feels despite the burn that’s making tears spring in the corners of his eyes, loves the low, growling murmur of _mine_ still coming from Caduceus as he shifts his hips up in short thrusts, staying fully buried inside him as the knot continues to swell slowly.

He tilts his head up to look at Caduceus, who meets his gaze with a wild, feral snarl, cupping the back of his head and pressing their foreheads together, his breath hot on Caleb’s face as it hisses through his nostrils. Caleb kisses him, sloppy and full of teeth, Caduceus growling in his throat as he drags his lips over the underside of his jaw.

“You need to come first,” he grunts in Caleb’s ear between labored pants. “I’m gonna be inside you for a long time. I need you to come first.”

Caleb nods, and it doesn’t take more than a few quick thrusts for him to obey, moaning raggedly into Caduceus’ neck as he comes between their stomachs where they’re still flush against one another.

“Good,” Caduceus breathes, squeezing Caleb around the waist as he shivers and groans through his orgasm. “I can smell you coming. You smell _so good_.” His arms tighten around him further and Caleb has to take shallow breaths at how hard he’s holding onto him, his lungs compressed by his grip.

His thrusts are quick, uneven, and Caleb can sense him getting close, can practically smell it on it like Caduceus claims he can do with him. He gasps suddenly, hips jerking upward, and Caleb has the familiar sensation of him spilling inside him, hot and pulsing. He doesn’t stop after a few seconds though, still holding firmly onto Caleb and twitching inside him as he pumps his hips up minutely and he’s _still coming,_  so much of it, Caleb is sure it will be leaking out of him for days.

It takes almost a full minute for him to still, though he continues to hold Caleb tightly, grip only loosening slightly. It’s enough for Caleb to look up at him though, take in his dizzied, exhausted expression. He winces when he tries to pull off of him, the knot still swollen inside him and Caduceus almost instinctively squeezing him around the middle and growling feebly. He feels him throb inside him followed by another warm pulse of come.

“It won’t go down for awhile,” he mumbles, shaking his head. “I’m meant to bond with my mate now.”

His eyelids droop and he blinks groggily up at Caleb. He smiles crookedly and combs his fingers through Caleb’s hair, kissing him. It’s soft, careful, more like the Caduceus he knows outside of the bedroom and one he thinks he might like to get to know better _in_ the bedroom. He wonders what it might be like if they took this relationship somewhere besides just sex, some weird, reversed courtship after they’ve already spent so much time learning each other’s bodies so intimately.

Caduceus’ arms loosen around Caleb but he doesn’t pull away, sliding his hands up his chest as he kisses him, lazy and languid, Caduceus’ fingers petting soothingly down his spine. He feels him twitch inside him every now and then as his knot slowly empties but it’s secondary to the way his lips feel against his own, soft and supple and still a little unsure, inexperienced.

He barely notices when Caduceus’ slips out of him ten minutes later, doesn’t think he would if not for the slick sound of it and the feeling warm come trickling out of him. Caduceus sighs against his lips and allows Caleb to roll them both onto their sides, Caleb hooking one leg over his hip and draping an arm around his shoulders. He’s sure he absolutely reeks of sex, Caduceus’ slick and come dried on his face and stomach and god knows where else. All he can think about now, though, is the taste of Caduceus on his tongue, how good he smells and feels against him, every sense overwhelmed with him.

Caduceus trails the backs of his knuckles down his cheek when Caleb breaks away eventually, though he stays close, sharing gradually slowing breaths with him.

“Are you okay?” Caduceus says worriedly, eyes roving over Caleb’s face. “I know I hurt you.”

“Mm, no,” Caleb murmurs, “I mean, yes, a little. But I’m okay. It was… good.”

“I’m sorry,” Caduceus says guiltily, brow knitted with concern. “I can’t really… it’s hard to be in control. Like I said, if you were a firbolg…” He trails off, shrugging and Caleb feels a sting of something that feels like rejection in his chest.

“So, you cannot take a human as your mate?” Caleb says, trying to keep his voice nonchalant, vaguely curious.

“I mean, that’s not really how it works,” Caduceus says thoughtfully. “I guess symbolically. It’s not like we _have_ to mate. It’s just how it usually works.”

“And what would being your mate entail, exactly?” Caleb asks.

Caduceus gets a far-away sort of look in his eyes, frowning faintly.

“Like I said, we only mate once. We choose a mate and after the relationship is, er, consummated, it triggers the first rut or heat.” He sighs almost forlornly. “It’s for life, though.”

“Does that mean you chose me, then?” Caleb says, feeling strangely anxious for his answer. “As your mate.”

Caduceus’ eyes snap to his and he blinks, looking taken aback.

“Oh, no, Caleb, you don’t have to—“

“What if I want to?”

Caduceus stares at him with that same bewildered look.

“You—what?”

“What if I _want_ to?” Caleb repeats. He laughs, shaking his head as he aligns his hand with Caduceus’ where it’s still resting limply against his jaw. He laces their fingers together loosely. “We are working backwards but where is the harm in trying it?”

Caduceus gives him a disbelieving look.

“Really?”

“Why the hell not?” Caleb says with a shrug. “If nothing else, we know we know we are _very_ compatible in the bedroom.”

Caduceus laughs softly.

“Alright,” he says, nodding slowly, “yeah, why the hell not?”

Caleb grins and Caduceus returns it, leaning forward to kiss him again with that same unhurried energy. Caleb is sore and exhausted, his throat scratchy and raw, and he desperately needs a hot bath—preferably with Caduceus—and a long night’s rest, but he thinks he can put it off a little bit more.


End file.
